THE RUSSEL'S VIPER

THE VIPER

I wonder at my courage that some people called foolhardiness. But my calm attitude after a calamity is what I appreciate. When there is no one else to look for help, it is then that inner courage, experience and training comes of help. Panic is the worst display of behavior, especially before troops. (read Munabao, where I was scared as a Commanding Officer)

It was about 4 o’clock in the evening and we were about to close our training and return to our barracks. I was the senior most battery commander. The place was near Madhopur, on the banks of the River Ravi, full of stones and pebbles. It was time for tea at our location. I was sitting on a boulder and watching the last few drill procedures. One of my favorites, Barber Baburam, comes running towards me with a dead black scorpion dangling from his hand. And he was warning me from sitting on the boulder. To which I added that we should be careful as in this region there will be saw scaled vipers who love eating scorpions.

As a nature lover I had a fair idea of types of snakes, specially the venomous ones. I had read books by Whittaker and books published by BNHS. During my tenure near the Ujh River area, I used to save huge beautiful Russel’s beautiful vipers from villagers. Villagers would mercilessly kill vipers (locally called Sothar) when they would be lazily basking in the winter sun. I used to collect them, keep them at home till the month of Mar-Apr, and left them in jungles when they would be very active.

Ten a hysterical call came that boys had detected a viper, and that led to a little commotion.It was already tea time, I asked them to collect around me and get me a glass tumbler. I caugt the snake and demonstrated te method of collection of poison, showed them the fangs and other aspects of a snake, like identifying their gender etc. After the snake was exhausted I kept it on the ground. I washed my hands and was holding a glass of hot tea.

The snake was slowly slithering away as the boys got back to work. A villager was passing by on his cyce. On seeing the snake he started shouting “sothar sothar” and picked up a hard piece of mud. I protested and wanted to save the snake. In this huddle I could not catch it well , as my rigt hand was holding the tea. My grip was loose, the snake turned around and managed to put one fang, that I clearly saw.

Now starts the thought process: My Co had given me the responsibility of conducting the training and brining all back in safety, so I could not run back; after all I had drained out all the poison; only one fang went in; little poison cannot do much damage. With these thought I waited with a tourniquet, finally closed down and reached home at about 8 pm, about four hours had passed.

At home as I was flipping through my books a drop of dark blood fell on the tiled floor, unnoticed. While bringing the ususal cup of welcome tea….is when my wife came to know and she raised the alarm….again Sanjoo, my CO Col Sethi…… I was rushed the hospital.

Here the drama began. I was suspected of attempt to commit suicide. The reasons: My BP and pulse was normal (I kept my cool thinking that the left hand is closure to my heart, and I must not rush my blood); I had too much knowledge (because I named the snake and the anti-dote, I did not was a general antidote!); I had not brought the snake for identification; snakes have two fangs not one! As I was only a major, I was not listened to. They were so annoyed of my knowledge, that they shifted me from emergency room to the normal officers’ ward for observation and not the ICU.

Everyone had left except Baburam as he was guilty of showing me the black scorpion that led to all this he thought.  It was about 4 am when I went to the washroom, the pot was white, yet in the poor light I could only see my dark urine, all blood. I sent Baburam to the DMO. Then I only saw doctors and bottles around me. I stayed in the ICU for 13 days, until my blood report was normal. I had to return because of our annual inspection.

I must not forget to mention that my friend then Wg Cdr Nair had arranged to fly in appropriate anti venin from Delhi, which the doctors refused. I was given doses for nerve toxin as well as hemotoxin….meant for all the big four (Cobra, Krait, and two vipers). Also that doctors requested me abstain from further advice on treatment!